The Wicked End
by PerfectDisaster22
Summary: It's billed as "the greatest show on earth", but the inhabitants of The Wicked End know that the best action happens outside the bigtop.
1. The Wicked End

**Prologue**: Welcome to my latest endeavor! I fully realize that I have obligations to other fandoms right now, and I swear I'm not procrastinating… much. It's just, I've got writer's block. Again. And these characters kind of woke up and took over residency in my brain until I promised to write them their own drabble series.

To give you some background and a frame of reference for where in the hell this idea came from, my dear friend [and unintentional muse] Henderson created and admin'd an RP site, called The Wicked End. The Wicked End was a circus where all the acts were real- the strongmen really were that strong, the illusionists all did actual magic, etc. And the whole thing was owned and operated by a coven of vampires [because, why not?]. Of all the RP sites I've ever done, this one is to this day still my absolute favorite. Unfortunately, that board no longer exists. However, the characters [both my own and the major characters on the board] are still very much alive in my brain, and begging for my attention.

Originally, this was just supposed to be a one-shot; since I only wanted to write drabbles, I figured I could get all the scenes I wanted into the same one-shot and it wouldn't be a big deal. But then more characters woke up, and they started clamoring for their story arcs to be finished. By the time I had a list of all the scenes I wanted to write, I realized that this wasn't a one-shot; it was a drabble series.

So yeah, there's going to be a lot of chapters to this story, but they'll all be incredibly short. The drabbles vary between 100-700 words long. In the course of this series I'll be juggling about a dozen characters and story arcs. I don't think you'll have any trouble following the development of each story; I've done my best to group the drabbles so that all the stories develop at the same pace. And by the by, this entire series is already written; I threw it together over the course of a week and I plan to post it about that quickly.

**Author's Note**: This first drabble is pretty much just to set the stage for you and give you an idea of the environment and atmosphere. I did it in poetry form… just coz. It seemed weirdly fitting.

**Image**: http:/ moviesmedia. ign. com/ movies/ image/ article/ 101/ 1014634/ cirque- du- freak- the- vampires- assistant- 20090817022806510_ 640 w. jpg**  
>Pairing<strong>: None.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Poetry with a very sing-song rhyme scheme.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I'm only borrowing The Wicked End from Henderson. It's her brainchild.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Poetry.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 118.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _A Freak Like Me Needs Company_, Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark.

XXX

We thrill and entertain  
>with the acts you can't explain;<br>try to understand though you might  
>we will boggle your brain.<p>

Our masters of the trapeze  
>fly through the air with ease<br>while the flame-dancers warm  
>and our ice-tamers freeze.<p>

Shape-shifters transform,  
>the clowns act with zeal.<br>Your mind will go crazy  
>determining what's real.<p>

But though we entertain you  
>and hold you in thrall,<br>we must give you this warning:  
>don't stay past nightfall.<p>

Because not all is as it seems  
>in this circus of dreams;<br>there are terrors hidden here  
>that may cause you screams.<p>

The monsters are real;  
>the acts are all true.<br>And if you're not careful,  
>the Ringmaster will come for you, too.<p> 


	2. The Ringmaster

**Author's Note**: The first several chapters of this series are going to be introductory. Each of the major characters will get their own chapter, so you can get to know them and their backstories before I get into the story arcs and the craziness.

This first chapter is by necessity dedicated to the man who made the circus happen: Shawn Maxwell Baker, better known as the Ringmaster, lord and master of The Wicked End. My God, I adore the Ringmaster; far more than is healthy. Here's the deal with him: Shawn is a 500-year-old vampire, and he's owned and run the circus for the last 300 years. When it comes to picking acts for his show, the Ringmaster is kind of a bastard. If he wants you in his show, you're in. You get no choice in the matter. You're in for life. You get no choice in the matter. He'll probably turn you into a vampire so he can keep your act forever. You get no choice in the matter. If you defy him, he kills you. You get no choice in the matter.

**Images**: Shawn is portrayed by M. Shadows [please, no comments about how often I use M. Shadows as a play-by; I'm well aware]. http:/ images 2. layoutsparks. com/ 1/ 85649/ m- shadows- 1- guy. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: None.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Shawn Baker in all his glory belongs to Henderson. I just borrow him sometimes.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 100.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Walk_, Pantera.

XXX

It's impossible to think of The Wicked End without its Ringmaster.

Most of the adjectives that describe the circus also serve well to describe the Ringmaster. Dazzling. Seductive. Astounding. Dangerous. Dark. Beguiling.

His entire life was the circus; she was his soul and his heart and his reason for being. He had cared for her and loved her for 300 years. His whole identity was wrapped up in her, to the point where most of the freaks saw him simply as an extension of the circus herself. They even forgot his name.

Shawn Maxwell Baker was now, simply, the Ringmaster.


	3. The Flame Dancer

**Author's Note**: Apart from Shawn, Joseph Owen Haner is one of my top three favorite people in the circus. I can't even tell you why, because Joey's every bit as much a douchebag as Shawn [I wonder if that has something to do with Shawn being Joey's sire]. Still, I love love love Joey and will defend him till my last breath.

Quick backstory on Joey. He was human back in the 1920s and 30s. He's a fire dancer; the one good thing he got from his dad. Joey's dad was a bum and an alcoholic, hated himself and his family. One night he burned the house down while he and his wife were in bed; seven-year-old Joey stood outside and watched the house burn down. He lived on the streets until the 1930s, when Shawn came for him. Joey's only loyalties [at this point at least] are to fire and to Shawn.

**Images**: Joey is portrayed by the Rev. http:/ www. metalsucks. net/ wp- content/ uploads/ 2010/ 06/ TheRev 19. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: None.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Joey is the brainchild of my friend Megan.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 100.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Burn it Down_, Avenged Sevenfold.

XXX

He didn't know why he was so fucking popular.

Joey wasn't a nice guy. He wasn't friendly, he wasn't kind, and he wasn't a people person. He was disinterested in people as a whole, he was apathetic and jaded, he was sardonic to the point of cruelty, and he was a vampire.

The one beautiful thing about him, in his opinion, was the fire that licked through his veins and danced on his nimble fingers, warming and protecting him. They made him the undisputed fire master of the circus, the Flame Dancer.

Fuck the people. Fire was all he wanted.


	4. Memories

**Author's Note**: Anthony Spencer Gates is an interesting character. He was born as part of my character Trick's backstory for a different RP board, and he grew into one of the main characters of this painfully _epic_ saga [that I swear I will write someday] that Megan and I developed. On the TWE board, Tony had a whole story arc about finding a way to bring his dead lover back to life [it would've been incredible, but the board died before we got to finish that]. I simply had to bring Tony into this insanity. You'll hear more about his back story and his family later; the important things to know about him right now are that he's a wolf-shifter, and he doesn't have his memories.

**Images**: Tony is portrayed by Frank Iero. http:/ imageshack. us/ f/ 389/ c 9 b 6758 coj 2. jpg/  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: None.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Very vague reference to past torture; angst.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: While I was the one to come up with the character of Tony, he was developed by Megan.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 100.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Famous Last Words_, My Chemical Romance.

XXX

Tony Spencer missed his memories.

His mind had wiped itself clean. Memories of how he'd gotten the scars criss-crossing his body; the brothers, sister and nephew he'd loved and lost; memories of the man he'd given his heart and soul to; all were just fucking gone.

He knew his story. Trick had told him- their family's meteoric rise and cataclysmic destruction. He knew, but he didn't remember anything past the loneliness, the fear, the pain; the nine years of running, without remembering what horrors he was running from.

Sometimes, he wondered if he really wanted to know what he'd forgotten.


	5. Survivor

**Author's Note**: This chapter is dedicated to Aaron Patrick Sanders, aka Trick, aka Vengeance [Veng for short]. Trick is one of the few non-vampire acts in the circus; he's got a whole long reason for not wanting to be immortal, which I'll get into later. For now, all you need to know is that Trick is a bit traumatized by his past, and he's a border-walker.

**Images**: Trick is portrayed by Zacky Venegance. http:/ 4. bp. blogspot. com/ _Sb 9 LUjxcWcs/ TBMbwXDx- JI/ AAAAAAAAAHk/ gHTKCkWxLt 8/ s 1600/ ZackyVengeance  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: None.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Mentions of drugs, gangs, violence and angst.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Trick belongs to me. As for his ability, I stole the idea of an Abhorsen from Garth Nix.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 200.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Until the End_, Breaking Benjamin.

XXX

He had been a prince, once.

The Princes had ruled Huntington Beach. They'd had a finger in every pie- drug dealing, weapons, prostitutes, money laundering. They'd built a hugely successful empire. Their names had been infamous throughout California- the Saint, Shanks, Kill, and Vengeance.

And then they'd been destroyed by their own faults. They'd reached too far, pushed too hard. And they'd been punished. Their sister had been shot before their eyes; Shanks had followed her three days later. Kill had been tortured, Saint shot by one he had counted as friend.

Veng had been the only one left [or so he thought, until the day Tony came running back into his life]. The only surviving heir, but unable to claim his kingdom, because he'd been taken by the Ringmaster and brought into a different kind of kingdom.

He was a border-walker, the Abhorsen. He straddled the line between Life and Death, and for a fee, he could put you in contact with your lost loved ones, pass on messages from the other side of the Veil. And if every once in a while he abused his powers to contact his and Tony's family, nobody said anything to stop him.


	6. The Illusionist

**Author's Note**: So, most of the circus freaks on the RP board were more or less miserable; they were pretty much enslaved by Shawn and didn't want to be in the circus [some of them didn't even want to be alive]. Some characters, however, absolutely adored the circus and the freedom it offered them. I figured it was only fair to have one or two of those characters in my story.

I didn't originally own Dante Harris, and I've never RPd a Syn Gates on any of Henderson's boards. However, I've done plenty of Syn RPing for Henderson's and my amusement, so basically what I've done here is steal Dante's name and ability, and combine that with my own Syn. Enjoy him, I do.

**Images**: Dante is portrayed by Synyster Gates. http:/ images 4. fanpop. com/ image/ photos/ 23300000/ Synyster- Gates- avenged- sevenfold- 23371490- 467- 700. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: None.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Dante Harris once upon a time belonged to Em; but I've now stolen him.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 100.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Unbound (The Wild Ride)_, Avenged Sevenfold.

XXX

Someone had asked him once, if after 300 years he'd gotten bored with the circus.

Dante thought that was a fucking stupid question. Three centuries of fooling idiotic humans with sleight of hand and impossible magic tricks? Three hundred years of partying with Shawn and seeing the world? The knowledge that he could spend forever with his best friend, doing the magic he loved without the threat of being accused of witchcraft [god the 1700s had sucked]?

Count him in.

He reveled in the circus that was his livelihood and his home. Leave? Not a snowball's chance in hell, asshole.


	7. Forever

**Author's Note**: Strictly speaking, Daniel Sullivan was never a character of TWE. He was requested, and there was an entire story arc planned for him, but the request was never answered, and the board closed soon afterwards. However, I wanted that story arc in this series, and so I have created Danny for myself.

Also, this is going to be mentioned later on, but Daniel's particular ability is strength. He's ridiculously strong, even for a vampire.

**Images**: Danny is portrayed by Kellan Lutz. http:/ I 2. listal. com/ image/ 566323/ 600 full- kellan- lutz. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: None.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Angst.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Danny is my boy. Any resemblance to Emmett Cullen is only partially intentional and I blame the play-by.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 205.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Afterlife_, Avenged Sevenfold.

XXX

Immortality fucking sucked when you had nobody to share it with.

It sucked even fucking more when you knew that the one person you wanted to share it with was dead.

Such was Danny's fate. He'd been turned in '45, on the beaches of Normandy. Danny tried to fight him, which had impressed- or amused- the vampire so much that he converted Danny.

The strength and speed and indestructibility had been cool… until he realized that he craved blood.

What if he went home, and attacked his wife? What if he killed her because of his own uncontrollable bloodlust? He couldn't bear that possibility… and he wouldn't condemn her to what he was.

So in one fell swoop, he'd lost his soulmate and his future.

He'd spent the decades drifting, seeing the world; all the cities she'd wanted to visit. Sometimes, he swore he caught a glimpse of her- he'd see a woman with her hair color in the crowd, or he'd walk past a girl and double take when she made a gesture just like _she_ had. But it was never her, and eventually, Danny had stopped looking, knowing that she was mortal and her lifespan had likely ended.

He'd spend forever missing her.


	8. Trapped

**Author's Note**: Amelia Leigh is another character who, strictly speaking, doesn't belong to TWE. There was a Val character, but her name was Vivian, and she belonged to an RPer whose name I cannot remember right now. But I honestly don't remember much of anything about Viv, so I replaced her with my own Val character. Her story arc, however, will remain the same.

**Images**: Mia is portrayed by Val Sanders. http:/ www. fanpix. net/ picture- gallery/ valary- sanders- picture- 10609122. htm  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Mentioned Mia/Elise.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: The story arc belongs to Henderson; Mia belongs to me.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 100.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _All That To Say_, AG Silver.

XXX

Apparently, there were people who considered The Wicked End a paradise. They reveled in the freedom, the acceptance of who and what they were. To those people, the circus was a haven for the freaks, the lost and the lonely.

To Mia Leigh, it was a freakshow, a nightmare.

She'd been an innocent bystander, just another in the crowd. She hadn't even wanted to come; her twin had dragged her, babbling on about the illusionist.

It had been just her good luck to catch the Ringmaster's eye.

She had no idea why he wanted her. But now she was stuck.


	9. Adrenaline

**Author's Note**: Henderson has a talent for creating characters who are spontaneous as hell, boisterous, and the ultimate good-timers. Such is the case with Elise Leigh. No matter what board she showed up on, you could be assured that excitement and chaos were sure to follow her.

**Images**: Elise is portrayed by Michelle Haner. http:/media. photobucket. com/ image/ michelle % 20 dibenedetto/ dandinia/ michelle- 1. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: None.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Elise belongs to Henderson; I just enjoy playing with her [like I enjoy playing with all of Henderson's characters].  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 108.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Blow_, Ke$ha.

XXX

Elise Leigh was willing to try anything once. She'd once run away to Vegas, becoming a stripper for a month. She'd gone skydiving, scuba diving, cliff jumping; anything for an adrenaline rush.

The Wicked End was a rush like no other.

She reveled in everything- the midway games, the sideshow freaks, the main tent acts [except the clowns, they were fucking creepy]. She fucking loved circuses.

And now she found herself the permanent guest of the best circus on earth.

She wasn't supposed to have learned that the acts were real. Since she did, her life belonged to the Ringmaster.

Honestly? She was kind of okay with that.


	10. The Bloodwhore

**Author's Note**: Melody never belonged in TWE, but she's representative of the bloodwhores as a whole. The bloodwhores are the most disturbing part of the circus to me- Shawn literally steals girls who he thinks smells good, and keeps them captive in a trailer where they're fair game as food and whores for his vampires. Melody kind of only exists for two purposes- one, so I can show you just how creepy this circus gets, and two, she's a plot device for someone else's story line. I ended up really sympathizing with Melody; I feel guilty for what I do to her in this story. I hate it when my characters make me feel bad for them; it makes it very awkward to be evil to them.

**Images**: Melody is portrayed by Selena Gomez. http:/ www. lyricsbird. com/ artist/ gallery/ SelenaGomez/ SelenaGomez_ 6037. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: None.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Ringmaster Douchebaggery, mentions of sex slavery and bloodsucking.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Melody belongs to me.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 100.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Lovely Ladies_, Les Mis.

XXX

They were called bloodwhores.

Young girls, between fifteen and twenty-five, whose blood appealed to the vampires. They were food, entertainment, and usually sex slaves, for whichever of the Ringmaster's vampires wanted them.

Melody had never meant for this to happen.

She'd just been exploring the circus, wide-eyed and curious. Then she'd been caught back by the performers' trailers, and brought to the Ringmaster. Before she could say a word in her defense, he'd leapt forward and fucking _bitten_ her.

Her life as a bloodwhore had begun, and her life as a regular seventeen-year-old girl was over.

She hated it here.


	11. Wishes

**Author's Note**: Zenina Sofia Anastasios was the only character I created specifically for the TWE board; my other characters had all existed before for other RPs. I'm utterly fascinated by Zenina. She's a 2000 year old Oracle- like the Oracle of Delphi, the one who got high on fumes and muttered prophecy? Yeah, that's Zenina. She got bitten by a snake and prayed to Apollo that she become immortal and ever-young. He granted her wish… and she's been paying for it ever since.

She ran into Shawn in Paris in the 1890s, and he brought her to the circus so they could continue their affair. Zenina is one of the ones who loves the circus; after all, vampires are immortal too. Originally she worked as his star Seer, but eventually she quit [the reason why will be discussed in a later drabble], and instead Shawn crafted a new act for her- the death defier. Because she can be shot, stabbed, burned, etc. and not die. Indestructibility is useful.

**Images**: Zenina is portrayed by Anna Nalick. http:/ photo. sing 365. com/ music/ Image. nsf/ Anna- Nalick- image/ B 8 BDF 6 D 66 A 7 F 31 E 248256 FEA 000 C 1924/ $ file/ Anna+ Nalick- 12. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Drive-by mention of Zenina/Daniel.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Zenina is my girl.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 152.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Careful What You Wish For_, Meredith Brooks.

XXX

Be careful what you wish for.

Zenina had wished for Death to pass her over… and now she was immortal. Ever-young and virtually indestructible. Unchangeable, as she lost all her friends over and over and all the world changed around her. Two thousand years, and not an end in sight.

She had wished for Sight… and now thanks to Apollo, the things she Saw while in trance always happened, no matter how she might fight it and try to change the future. The Black Death… the World Wars… the Jonas Brothers… all those failures haunted her.

She had wished for Love… and she had had it, and lost it, many times. Her lovers were never immortal like she was, and so she always lost them in the end. Caesar, Dante, Marlowe, Daniel… all gone where she couldn't follow.

Be careful what you wish for… or you might spend an eternity with it.


	12. Freebird

**Author's Note**: Ava Nicole Monroe is one of my favorite characters ever. No matter what board I put her in, she always ends up being bouncy and adorable and fun to write with. When Henderson got TWE going, I knew there was only one possible act for Ava- an avian shifter. Birdie Ava is somehow even more adorable to me than regular Ava. But something about the circus made Ava shift from her usual adorable, bouncy self into something a little weaker, darker, more broken. Which was fun to play with, especially as her story arc unfolded.

**Images**: Ava is portrayed by Leana McFadden. http:/ littlepieceofheaven. 5 mp. eu/ honlapkepek/ littlepieceofheaven/ Td 2 eyRHmCh/ nagy/ 2013628439 a 3082832487 b 850190650 l. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: None.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Implied angst.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Ava is my girl.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 100.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Freebird_, Lynyrd Skynyrd.

XXX

Her parents had nicknamed her Freebird.

As a little girl, it had been hell on earth to keep Ava human. She never wanted to be a human with her feet on the ground; she had only wanted to soar through the air, free as the eagle that lived inside of her. Eventually, her parents had given in; they had homeschooled her, and her every spare moment was spent flying.

Her father had protested her upbringing, but her mother had silenced him with a worried frown.

"Let her enjoy her freedom now. In her future, I see nothing but a cage."


	13. Temporary

**Author's Note**: There were certain characters on the TWE board who started out not knowing anything about the truth of the circus, and gradually learned the truth. Brixton Marie Sullivan was chief among those characters. She would've had one of the more interesting story arcs, if the board had survived longer. So I'm giving myself permission to give her the epicness she deserves. BRICK LIVES, BITCHES! …sorry.

**Images**: Brixton is portrayed by Gena Paulhus. http:/ www. whosdatedwho. com/ tpx_ 595483/ gena- paulhus/ photo  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: None.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Bri belongs to Henderson.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 111.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Perfect Day_, Hoku.

XXX

As far as summer jobs went, there were definitely worse ones than manning a funnel cake stand.

Brixton Sullivan had signed up to travel with The Wicked End for the summer to save up enough money to go to cosmetology school. She dreamed of being a hairdresser. The choice had been between here and McDonald's. Really, that wasn't a choice at all.

Bri enjoyed her job. The carneys were fun people, for the most part, and she got to eat as much funnel cake as she liked. And if the circus seemed a bit _off_ at times… well, it was only for three months. She could handle three months of weird.


	14. Welcome to the Family

**Author's Note**: Okay, we're done with exposition now. Time to get into the story arcs. As I've mentioned, there are a lot of story arcs. However, I've tried to group these chapters so that the stories all kind of develop at the same pace.

We begin with Ava joining the circus. Ava, like so many others, came to the circus simply to enjoy the show and had the (mis)fortune of catching the Ringmaster's eye. Shawn's gift is being able to determine other people's gifts [a la Eleazar in the _Twilight_ series and yes, I do feel horrible for knowing who that is]. When he finds a gift he likes, he pounces. And thus, we have this scene, which I consider to be highly disturbing. Enjoy!

**Images**: http:/ spc. fotolog. com/ photo/ 28/ 42/ 49/ sir_ shadows/ 1267136020449_ f. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Shawn/Ava.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Ringmaster douchebaggery.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I'm really really sorry, Henderson; I didn't mean to diminish Shawn's badassness in any way by making him resemble a sparklepire a little bit -winces-. Shawn's gift is lifted from _Twilight_.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 100.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Welcome to the Family_, Avenged Sevenfold.

XXX

The Ringmaster had a knack for finding new talents. It was the reason The Wicked End was still running after three centuries. His acts were sublime, mysterious, terrifying, jaw-dropping. He was known for having unexplainable acts.

And three days ago, he'd found another one.

She wasn't exactly the circus' new star; that honor still and always belonged to his Death Defier. But still, she'd be a beautiful addition to his shifter acts.

He considered the eagle sitting in a cage on his desk. Golden feathers, golden-brown eyes, an all-too-human glare.

Shawn smirked, baring his fangs. "Welcome to the family, Ava."


	15. Missing You

**Author's Note**: I am utterly and completely fascinated by Trick's double life. He loved and lost one family, and even though he has a new family now, he can never forget the ones he lost before. He's kind of stuck in the past, and it does really cool things to his psychology. I love playing with how damaged he is. On the TWE board, Trick and Tony were going to have this story arc centering around an attempt to bring Christian [the leader of the gang and Tony's lover] back to life. I'm still sorry that we didn't get to play with that. Ah well.

**Images**: http:/ 3. bp. blogspot. com/ _eLHmSqyC 1 ns/ TPd 6 M 8 W 10 DI/ AAAAAAAAAXE/ AOdoy 3 yjNNc/ s 1600/ jesus_ reaching_ out_ his_ hand. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: None.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Magic, necromantic ritual.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Max, Christian, AV, the baby and Hannah belong to me and Megan.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Family.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 122.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _I Miss You_, Blink 182.

XXX

It's dangerous for the Abhorsen to be so easily seduced by Death, to part the veil that separates Life and Death and seek those who have crossed over. Trick had been trained to uphold the delicate balance between Life and Death, not to manipulate it.

But there was a reason that Trick was so entranced by Death.

He sat on the ground and performed the ritual to part the Veil. He opened his eyes, smiled at the ones he'd loved. Max. Christian. AV, baby Patrick, Hannah.

"Hey, little brother," Chris smirked. "How're you and Tony?"  
>"We miss you," Trick replied, heart aching.<br>"We'll be together someday," Max reminded him. "Until then, you two take care of each other."  
>"As always," Trick promised.<p> 


	16. Funnel Cake

**Author's Note**: I have two favorite circus couples. Number One is Trick and Brixton; the only couple on any of Henderson's RP boards, as far as I know, who ever got a couple nickname. LONG LIVE BRICK, BITCHES!

**Images**: http:/ cdn. buzznet. com/ assets/ users 16/ angiegud/ default/ gena- and- zacky- large- msg- 118372044076. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Trick/Bri.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 100.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _The Best Damn Thing_, Avril Lavigne.

XXX

Trick had always liked funnel cake. Fried dough covered in powdered sugar? Fucking perfect.

When he'd joined the circus, he'd started frequenting the funnel cake stand after he finished his shifts on the sideshow. His work was draining, and the sugar helped him boost his energy and regain homeostasis.

Now that they finally had a decent-looking chick at the stand, Trick was sure as hell gonna hang around there more often.

She was cute, this Brixton; bubbly and entertaining. Completely innocent about the circus, of course, and Trick hoped she stayed that way. Still, he'd enjoy her until she left.


	17. Lifeline

**Author's Note**: Back to Ava we go. This is, strictly speaking, a sub-arc in development; it didn't exist for TWE when the board was up and running. It's an idea I only came up with months later. However, I think it's a fabulous idea, and so it's being put in with everything else because it's my story so it's my rules.

**Images**: http:/ image. shutterstock. com/ display_ pic_ with_ logo/ 82192/ 82192,1287460390,1/ stock- photo- two- beautiful- teenage- girls- hugging- in- the- autumn- park- 63280288. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Ava/Melody.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Friendship.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 200.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Lifeline_, Papa Roach.

XXX

She was a prisoner, that much was obvious. But it was better when Shawn let her out of the goddamn cage.

Ava had been surprised to learn that she was allowed to wander wherever she pleased; no area was off-limits to her, now that she belonged to the circus. It was easier to ignore her captivity when she could explore her prison.

She'd been even more surprised to find people just as unhappy in their captivity as she was. She felt the most sympathy for the bloodwhores; their lot was, amazingly, even worse than hers. She'd been horrified to meet Melody. The girl was only three years younger than Ava, and held in an even smaller prison than she was.

Melody's fate made Ava feel just a tiny bit more grateful for her own situation.

They stuck together, Ava finding moments to slip away and visit Melody. She'd bring her young friend scraps of funnel cake or sometimes a newspaper she'd nicked from the garbage bins; anything to distract the young bloodwhore from how awful the circus was to them both.

Captivity was Ava's greatest fear. But it was a little easier, knowing she had a friend imprisoned with her.


	18. Attention

**Author's Note**: Henderson kept trying to tell everyone that somewhere beneath all that douchebag, Shawn did have a heart. Much as I love Shawn, I never saw it. Still, I'm more than willing to give him a heart, if that means that I get to play with it.

**Images**: http:/ cdn. buzznet. com/ assets/ users 16/ vivalahenderson/ default/ valay- renee- dibenedetto- sanders- large- msg- 126030880386. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Shawn/Mia; passing mention of Shawn/Zenina.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Relationship-In-Development.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 150.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Bad Boy_, Cascada.

XXX

So apparently, some people were afraid of the Ringmaster.

Mia was just annoyed by him.

It wasn't like he was bothering her, really. It was just… he _watched _her. She felt his eyes on her wherever she went. She rarely saw him, but she just _knew_ he was prowling around, keeping an eye on her. It kind of got on her nerves; she felt like she was pinned beneath a microscopic lens.

She had no idea what he was watching for. Well… okay, maybe she had an idea. She wasn't living with the bloodwhores, but she heard their stories; she knew all about the Ringmaster's… _appetites_. Shawn and Zenina may have been lovers for over a century, but it wasn't an exclusive relationship, or faithful in the least bit on either side. She couldn't say she wasn't intrigued…

Or at least, she would be. If he wasn't so completely infuriating.


	19. Stand By Me

**Author's Note**: On the original board, Ava wasn't kidnapped by Shawn. Trick had been the one to find her- he saved her, actually. She had been kidnapped by a necromancer who was going to sacrifice her in order to release some undead beasties into the world; Trick defeated that necromancer and saved Ava, and in return, she became his protector. It was a cool backstory, but then I got the idea of Shawn kidnapping Ava, so that's what I went with instead.

**Images**: http:/ images 4. fanpop. com/ image/ user_ images/ 2049000/ a7x_ rulez 17- 2049598_ 500_ 375. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Ava/Trick, as seen by the Ringmaster.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Friendship.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 140.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Stand By Me_, Ben E. King.

XXX

When Shawn had brought Ava into the circus, this wasn't exactly the purpose he'd had in mind for her. He was in the business of creating new acts, not giving his existing acts assistants.

But there wasn't much he could do about it; he could control humans, yeah, but animals? Not so much. And Ava really was more avian than human.

Eagles were historically associated with protection of royalty. Apparently, Ava's avian instincts counted Trick's dubious princely status as legitimate. In her bird form, she could see into Death, and when Trick traveled there, she protected him.

Not much Shawn could do to stop it. Still, when Ava was around Trick she stopped moping and contemplating running away, so he figured he'd allow it. Hell, maybe she could keep Trick out of trouble.

Ha. He wished her luck with that.


	20. Visions

**Author's Note**: I kind of love Shawn and Zenina's relationship. I never got a chance to really play with it, but it's interesting to think about what kind of status Zenina would have as a result of her liason with Shawn. Everyone in the circus knows they've been lovers for over a century, but at the same time everybody knows they're not really "lovers" per say; more like fuck buddies out of necessity. Since Zenina's no longer in Greece and doesn't have the Delphic vapors, she needs to have an ecstatic trance somehow… hell, if I were Zenina and the Ringmaster looked like he does, I'd say I needed sex to See too. Lots and lots of sex.

Anyways, getting back to my point… You'd think that sleeping with Shawn would get Zenina lots of power, right? Having his ear during pillow talk, and all that. But I always kind of thought that it made her Shawn's property, far more than most of the circus freaks are. Given Shawn's possessive streak, I was always curious about what would happen if someone came along to challenge Shawn's rights over Zee. And thus, her story line was born.

**Images**: http:/ ih 0. redbubble. net/ work. 6648553. 4. flat, 550x550, 075, f. lovers- embrace. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Shawn/Zenina, mentioned Zenina/Daniel.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Sex.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Sex, Occult.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 100.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Addicted_, Saving Abel.

XXX

Zenina Anastasios had a rule against scrying.

For almost two millennia she had faithfully served Apollo, acting as his Oracle to the world. Wars, famine, unrest, she had predicted them all. Then she'd lost Daniel on D-Day. And she'd forsaken prophecy.

Except, of course, when the Ringmaster needed to See. That was why he kept her; of the handful of psychics in the circus, she was the very best. He'd supply her with an ecstatic trance via sex, she'd See.

Her eyes rolled back; the Future revealed itself. A vampire, searching for her, fighting Shawn for her…

She screamed.

"DANIEL!"


	21. Addicted

**Author's Note**: -cowers and hides- Please don't kill me for borrowing another idea from Twilight. I swear, I really do hate that series. But there are certain ideas that I can't help playing with- _la tua cantante_ being one of them. It always sounded like drug addiction to me, and thus I wrote this.

**Images**: http:/ www. fanpix. net/ picture- gallery/ michelle- haner- picture- 13585303. htm  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Dante/Elise.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Blood addiction.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Drama.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 100.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Give Me Novacaine_, Green Day.

XXX

They called it blood addiction.

It didn't happen very often, at least not according to Zee [and since she was, as far as they knew, the oldest person in the world, she should know, shouldn't she?]. But it did happen sometimes; a never-ending, intense, overwhelming _need_ for one particular person's blood. It was, Zenina said, the origin of the tradition of bloodwhores.

Dante didn't really care about history. His cared that he was suffering from a rare disease.

Elise tasted amazing; fire, spice, passion. He'd never tasted anything like her blood.

He was afraid he'd never get enough of her.


	22. Amusement

**Author's Note**: I loved Tony and Joey's relationship. I mean, Joey's not a people person, but there's no way you can't love Tony; he's just that cuddly. So against his will, Joey ended up with a sidekick. And Tony can be annoying as fuck if you're trying to hide from something that Tony finds amusing. Actually, Joey reminds me a lot of Tony's lover Christian; they're both grouchy assholes who intimidate the fuck out of most people, but are complete putty in Tony's hands.

**Images**: http:/media. photobucket. com/ image/ man+ and+ wolf+ / WolfieBlueMoon/ ManAndWolf. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Joey/Tony; mentioned Joey/Ava.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Friendship, Relationship-In-Development.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 100.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _That's What You Get_, Paramore.

XXX

Joey walked through the midway after his evening meal, tailed by an enormous, shaggy, black wolf shifter. Joey had taken Tony in, cared for him, nursed him back to health, then inadvertently reunited him with his surrogate brother, Trick. Tony was one of the few people whose company Joey tolerated; Joey might even go so far as to call him a friend.

Except when the wolf was laughing at him for his infuriated, helpless fascination with the ironically nicknamed Freebird. Like now.

"Shut up, mongrel," Joey muttered.

The wolf just grinned. The vampiric fire dancer and the avian shifter. Hilarious.


	23. The Price

**Author's Note**: Y'know why I like Dante Harris more than Edward Cullen? I mean, besides the obvious? He completely owns his addiction. And when shit goes wrong, Dante doesn't brood about it; he fixes it. Granted, you might argue that his "fix" is only furthering the problem… but still, Dante trumps Edward.

Also, I love the ending line. I love how Dante, a 300-some-odd year old vampire, is in my head cringing as he imagines what a tiny wee wisp of a human girl is gonna do to him for biting her sister. Hilarious.

**Images**: http:/ 2. bp. blogspot. com/ _-vGcYWUTK_ w/ TIzi- 8QkERI/ AAAAAAAAAFk/ ak 38 wQQl7wU/ s 1600/ SynysterGF!. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Dante/Elise.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Vague reference to Ringmaster douchebaggery, bloodsucking, character death, vampiric conversion.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Drama.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 150.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Over My Head (Cable Car)_, The Fray.

XXX

Addiction always comes with a price.

It had been an evening like any other. They'd been in his trailer, and Dante had gotten a hankering for his drug. He'd nipped at Elise… but then he couldn't stop. No relief came from drinking; every sip only added to his need for her. His eyes rolled back, and he drank deep of his poison.

He wrenched himself away, panting, eyes wide when he realized he didn't hear her heartbeat.

Shawn wouldn't care if he'd killed his bloodwhore; that happened a lot. Dante, however, cared that he'd killed Elise. Fucking damnit all to hell, when had she become more important than her blood?

So he did the only thing he could; he offered her up to the same addiction that plagued him. A prick on the wrist, a few drops, and she became what he was.

Amelia was gonna kill him for this.


	24. Triangular Reunion

**Author's Note**: I _love_ the awkward triangular relationship between Shawn, Zenina and Daniel. The best part? The more you think about it, the more awkward it gets. Danny and Zee are married, but they've been separated for over sixty years, and each thinks the other is dead… Shawn and Danny have a past history… Zenina and Shawn have a past history… I love the awkward. So this moment? This was fun to write.

**Images**: http:/ thumbs. dreamstime. com/ thumblarge_ 461/ 1261084014I gOvp 1. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Shawn/Zenina/Daniel.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Love.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 320.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Don't You Forget About Me_, Rufio.

XXX

The Wicked End meant a lot to Danny. It had been a Sunday in April 1943 when he wandered into the Oracle's stall and met _her_. As he walked through the midway, he found himself looking for her. It was stupid, he knew; if she was still alive, she'd be a tiny, grey old lady. Still, he kept his eyes peeled for the Oracle he had loved at first sight.

Since being converted, he'd learned that The Wicked End was the biggest employer of vampires and other nocturnal freaks in the world. Had Zenina known? Had her psychic abilities been as real as the Illusionist's magic and the Flame Dancer's fire? And if so, was it possible that she'd been converted, so the Ringmaster could keep his prize? He'd heard that Shawn wasn't above such things.

A woman came dashing out of one of the sideshow tents, her cheeks flushed with color as she laughed, tossing a glance over her shoulder before bumping right into him.

"Whoa, careful," he cautioned her, hands on her shoulders to steady her.

Then she looked up at him… and he froze, staring.

"Zee?" he breathed.  
>"Danny," she whispered.<p>

But… this wasn't possible. She was as young and as beautiful as she had been the day he met her… but he could hear her heart beating, felt her warmth beneath his hands. So how…?

Danny stiffened when he saw the vampire walking up to them.

"You!" he snarled at his sire.  
>"Hello, son."<p>

Shawn smirked, pulling Zenina away and drawing her into his side. Oh hell no, Shawn had stolen Danny's wife for himself? He was gonna kill him.

"Get your hands off her," Danny snapped.  
>"Why?" Shawn smirked. "She's belonged to me since before your parents were born, kid."<p>

Wait… what? How could a human live that long without conversion? It wasn't possible…

Zenina cleared her throat. "Danny, I think we need to talk."


	25. Acts of Kindness

**Author's Note**: So, I hope I've made it clear to you by now that Joey is kind of an ass. Not as cruel as Shawn can be, but Joey isn't exactly a nice guy. However, in every other board Joey was ever on, he was the exact opposite of his circus self- he was a complete goofball, happy-go-lucky, accident-prone and insane. So when Henderson got TWE going, naturally Megan and I sat there and were like, "Uhm… so Joey is an asshole and Ava's traumatized… but… they're Jimmy and Leana… they're our JoeyandAva… they have to be together… how do we make this work?" Eventually, we came up with a story arc that worked, but most of it entails acceptance that in this universe, Joey and Ava really shouldn't work. But somehow they do anyways. And this drabble is all about that dichotomy. Watching Joey be pissed off that he actually likes someone is really funny to me.

**Images**: http:/ cdn. buzznet. com/ assets/ users 12/ angiegud/ default/ rev- leana- large- msg- 115050181496- large- msg- 115211933151. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Joey/Ava.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Fluffy!  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Fluff.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 100.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _I Hope that I Don't Fall in Love with You_, Marc Cohn.

XXX

Frowning, Joey Haner shoved a ratty stuffed bunny at Ava Monroe. She'd been moping about losing her childhood toy for three weeks, and her depression was killing him.

"Here. Now stop being so fucking miserable," he snapped.

She stared at him, eyes wide. He spun on his heel, reading her thoughts as he left- her bewilderment, her joy at being reunited with this relic from her childhood. He glanced over his shoulder, catching her smile- the first time she'd smiled since arriving. The smile was breathtaking, devastating, entrancing.

He hated how fucking fascinated he was with the beautiful avian shifter.


	26. Overcoming

**Author's Note**: This drabble is kind of a filler; I wrote it mostly to offset the excessive amounts of angst that we're coming to. Plus, I realized that it's a conversation that needed to happen. I needed to tie up the addiction plotline, so that's what this drabble does.

**Images**: http:/ 2. bp. blogspot. com/ _- vGcYWUTK_ w/ TIzi- 8 QkERI/ AAAAAAAAAFk/ ak 38 wQQl 7 w U/ s 1600/ SynysterGF!.jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Dante/Elise.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Love.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 300.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Church of Hot Addiction_, Cobra Starship.

XXX

"Do you hate me?"

Dante winced; he hadn' t meant to just blurt that out. Elise tilted her head up, stretching luxuriously and nearly distracting Dante when the sheet covering her began to slip.

"Why would I hate you?" she asked, rolling onto her side.  
>"Because Shawn stole you and gave you to me," Dante said, rolling to face her. "Because I bit you, and changed you."<br>"Maybe I should hate you," Elise said thoughtfully.

Dante's gaze fell along with his spirits. But before he could start with the self-castigation, Elise leaned over and kissed him.

"But conversion got me you, so… nah. I don't hate you. I think vampirism is kinda cool, actually."

At that, Dante couldn't help but laugh. God, his girl was insane. And he got to spend an eternity enjoying it.

"Will you be okay, though?" Elise asked, tracing his jaw. "Now that you can't have my blood?"

Dante paused, thinking. He'd been wondering that same thing. The past week had been… hard. Constantly craving something that didn't exist anymore, tortured by the memory of how she'd smelled, how she'd tasted. Blood never tasted as good anymore, because he compared it all to hers, and it always came up short. Would he ever be free of his addiction? He didn't think so. It was a part of him now; he'd always want her blood, even if he couldn't have it anymore. Still, he didn't hear her heart beating anymore, didn't smell his drug calling to him. So maybe he could overcome his addiction.

"I think so," Dante replied. "I can't smell your blood anymore, and if I can't smell it, I don't crave it. Pity, you tasted really good," he said thoughtfully.  
>"Only you could make that sound romantic," Elise said drily.<br>"I'm great like that."


	27. Conversion

**Author's Note**: It seems like every time I try to argue that Shawn's not really that bad a guy, he goes and does something to completely prove me wrong. Like this chapter. I think on the actual board, both Elise and Mia were willingly converted. I had meant to go along with that… but then this happened, and, well… I like angst.

**Images**: http:/ fc 07. deviantart. net/ fs 70/ f/ 2010/ 102/ 2/ 9/ Happy_ B_ day_ DiBenedetto_ Twins_ by_ MadyVengeance. png  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Elise/Mia.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Ringmaster douchebaggery, angst, character death, vampiric conversion.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Angst, Family.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 170.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _(I Just) Died In Your Arms_, Cutting Crew.

XXX

Ever since they'd been kidnapped into the circus, Mia had been keeping close tabs on her twin, making sure that they were still together. But for the past three days, silence. It was making Elise uneasy.

She knocked on the door, harder when she got no answer.

"Go away."

Her frown deepened; her sister's voice sounded weak and tear-filled. Oh, bad. If Shawn had made her sister cry…

Elise barged in, then stood stock-still, staring. Mia was curled onto the couch, as if trying to hide. But Elise didn't need to see the puncture marks in her sister's neck to know the truth; the absence of a heartbeat told her everything.

"Oh, honey," she sighed, collapsing on the couch and pulling her twin into her arms.

Mia had had no interest in being turned; not like Elise. She didn't even have the benefit of liking her sire. And now she'd been condemned to immortality.

"At least we've got each other," Elise whispered, sighing.

She was gonna _kill_ Shawn for this.


	28. Permission

**Author's Note**: A huge part of Trick's story arc- on every board I put him on- became about moving on and recovering from the emotional trauma of his family's demise. A lot of the time, Trick failed to do that; at one point he was even on the brink of returning to life as a drug lord. But I always thought that if Tony was the one to give Trick permission to let it go, then Trick would finally be able to move on. So I let myself have this drabble… because if I didn't, I'd never get back to Trick and Bri, and I love Brick, damnit.

Hannah, by the way, was Trick's first love, in the streets. They were eighteen [and ironically enough, Hannah was being taken care of by Tony and his people]. When the war between Trick's family and a rival gang got really deadly, Trick convinced Hannah to leave the streets. In the epic saga Megan and I crafted, Trick never found out what happened to Hannah, and he never fully got over her. That's something else I changed for the purposes of this drabble series; I needed Trick to know that Hannah was beyond his reach, because otherwise I'd never get to see Brick again, and that's just unacceptable.

About this chapter's image… yes, that is James and Sirius. Tony and Trick absolutely remind me of James and Sirius.

**Images**: http:/ images. fanpop. com/ images/ image_ uploads/ James- Sirius- james- prongs- potter- 418993_ 460_ 590. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Trick/Tony, mentioned Trick/Bri.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: A bit sad.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Family.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 165.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Empty Chairs at Empty Tables_, Les Miserables.

XXX

Tony had never really been big on authority. Oh sure, he'd been a prince and leader of his own faction, but when it came to his family? Max and Christian had been the big brothers. Tony had never exerted that kind of influence over Trick.

But somebody had to kick the little shit in the ass, and since Max wasn't around to do it anymore…

"You can't hold onto the past forever, Aaron," Tony said suddenly, during a commercial break. "Max, AV, Chris… Hannah… they're dead. We're still here. They'd want you to move on." He turned his gaze away from the TV, watching his little brother. "Brixton makes you happy. They'd want you to go for it. Hannah would want you to be happy. And so do I."

Trick swallowed hard. Somehow, Tony had known exactly what Trick needed to hear, had sensed that Trick needed his brother's permission to finally let go of Vengeance, to move on.

"Thank you," he whispered.  
>"Anytime, moron."<p> 


	29. Connection

**Author's Note**: This drabble is a bit of a tangent. See, in Trick's usual backstory, Tony is dead; a victim of an incredibly violent gang war. He was captured by the enemy, tortured for hours in an attempt to get information out of him, and then finally Christian was forced to shoot and kill Tony. For the circus, that's Tony's backstory; the scars that cover his body are the remnants of that torture, and the first time he shifted was when his mind finally snapped. He turned on his torturers and ran away; since they never found his body, the brothers assumed that Tony had been killed and his body dumped in the bay. When Megan decided to add Tony to the circus, we got to play with this really angsty story arc where Tony wasn't quite functional, because he didn't have Christian. Hence, this drabble.

**Images**: http:/ fc 03. deviantart. net/ fs 21/ f/ 2007/ 296/ 4/ 1/ Emo_ Boys_ in_ Love_ by_ midoban. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Tony/Christian.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Subtle discussion of gay lovers.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Tony and Christian's entire relationship came from Megan.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Love, Angst.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 243.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Time for Miracles_, Adam Lambert.

XXX

Trick wasn't the only one who was constantly striving to reconnect with his family.

Tony still only barely remembered. When Trick contacted them, Tony would shift; as a wolf, he could see them, and then he remembered. The wolf didn't understand the complex, painful emotions, but he remembered these lost souls.

Seeing them as a wolf helped him remember them as a human.

But remembering them naturally led to missing them. Missing _him_.

God, it was fucking painful. To know that he could never touch Chris again, never annoy him by running his hands up Christian's ticklish sides and utterly destroy his badass image by hanging all over him… It was unbearable to know that Christian was trapped on the other side of the Veil, where Tony couldn't follow.

So he clung to the knowledge that the Veil was thin. Maybe, if he kept talking, Christian would hear him, and they'd stay connected.

"You'd be proud of Aaron, Chris," Tony whispered into the darkness of his room. "I know he's afraid that you and Max would be disappointed in him, but I know better. He's surviving, he's carrying on. He's making us proud."

Tony sighed, staring up into the darkness. If he concentrated, he could almost feel ghostly fingers playing with his hair; could almost hear Christian's heartbeat.

"I miss you, asshole," he whispered. "Why'd you have to leave me? Max and AV get to be together with their baby, why not us?"


	30. Can I Keep You

**Author's Note**: This one absolutely got away from me. But I couldn't find a way to do it within 100 words. There was way too much going on in Shawn's head, so I let him be talkative. Is it bad that I find his explanation for why he converted Mia to be kind of adorable?

**Images**: http:/ www. polyvore. com/ cgi/ img- thing?. out= jpg&size= l&tid= 23765387  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Shawn/Mia; discussion of Shawn/Zenina.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Fluff.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Romance.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 445.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Warmness on the Soul_, Avenged Sevenfold.

XXX

It wasn't often that Shawn felt the need to explain himself. He was the Ringmaster, goddamnit; he did as he pleased and if you didn't like it, fuck you.

However, when even Dante, Joey and Zenina were telling him what he'd done to Mia was fucked up… alright, maybe it had been a bit of a dick move.

Sighing, Shawn squared his shoulders and walked into his trailer; time to explain. Mia was still curled up on the couch; though she looked at him when he walked in, her eyes were dead. Well that sucked, he kinda liked the sparkle in her eye.

"Look, I didn't do it to be a douche," he said.

Yeah, that's a great way to start this conversation, Baker… Jesus, what was wrong with him?

"Then why did you?" Mia asked, her voice hoarse and strained.  
>"Because…" Shawn said, shifting uneasily. "I had to keep you."<br>Mia blinked. "Kidnapping me wasn't enough?"  
>"That's not the same," Shawn said dismissively. "You were human. You'd still age. Now you won't. You'll stay, and… you'll stay like this."<p>

Okay, he wasn't explaining this well, was he? Shit. What the fuck did he even mean?

"What the fuck do you even mean?" Mia frowned.

Great, now she was the voice inside his head.

"It means… I… fuck," he swore, running a hand over his head. "It means what I said. I had to keep you. With me. Like… yeah."

Mia stared at him, wide-eyed. Shit, did any of what he'd said make any sense whatsoever? Jesus, this was why he didn't deal with his heart anymore!

"But… what about Zenina?" Mia asked hesitantly.  
>Shawn barked out a laugh. "It's not love keeping us together, trust me. Most of the time she doesn't even like me much."<br>Mia nodded slowly. "So… now what?"  
>Shawn shrugged. "You could stop hating me? That'd be nice."<br>"I don't hate you," Mia negated. When he raised an eyebrow, she shrugged. "I don't like you much, though. Like Zee."  
>"Please don't be like Zee," Shawn begged, sincerely hoping she was just kidding. "Zee's high maintenance as fuck. Especially when she's pissed at me."<br>"From what I hear, you deserve that," Mia pointed out.  
>"Beyond the point," Shawn said dismissively. "Why are we talking about Zenina? Weren't we talking about us?"<br>Mia tilted her head. "Is there an us?"  
>"Uh… yes?" Shawn ventured. "I just told you, that's why I… you know."<br>Mia laughed softly, shaking her head. "High points on originality, Baker. Romance might need some work."  
>"We've got time," Shawn said softly. "You can teach me."<br>"Don't think I won't," Mia warned him.

He was kinda okay with that.


	31. Arrangement

**Author's Note**: This was just fun for me to write, even though the drabble ran away with me again. Danny and Shawn's pissing contest is just funny; I hadn't been expecting it, so that made it twice as great. And Zenina's reaction to them cracked me up. Originally I was going to have Mia come up with the solution to this little problem, so I could play with how whipped Shawn is… but imagining Zenina's irritation was funnier, so the drabble went in a new direction.

Also, about the image for this chapter… I probably could've written a whole drabble about how similar Danny and Shawn look, and how maybe Zenina was initially attracted to Daniel because he reminded her of Shawn, and how maybe she's got a deep-seated, twisted sort of love for Shawn. Or maybe that's just me.

**Images**: http:/ 2. bp. blogspot. com/ _Ws- HOl 8 tszk/ SVBR 2 CWnUUI/ AAAAAAAAAB 4/ uGkWRZvDTII/ s 320/ emmett. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Shawn/Zenina/Daniel.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Ringmaster douchebaggery.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Humor.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 370.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _If I Had You_, Adam Lambert.

XXX

"So let me get this straight," Danny said blankly. "She is two thousand years old. She's been in the circus since the 1890s. You bit me because you thought I was amusing. You never thought to tell me that Zee and I could be together, you just sent me off on my own. And now you won't let Zee leave, because you think you own her, even though we're technically still married."  
>"That about sums it up," Shawn nodded.<br>"I ever tell you you're a fucking douchebag?" Danny glared.  
>"Maybe once or twice," Shawn acknowledged, sounding nothing but amused.<br>"What's it gonna take for you to let her go?" Danny asked.  
>Shawn shook his head. "She doesn't even want to leave, kid."<br>"Why don't you stop talking for her?" Danny glared.  
>"Why shouldn't I, when I know what she's thinking?" Shawn queried.<br>Danny frowned, standing. "I'll fight you," he offered. "I win, we get to leave, and you don't say a word."  
>"I win, you're dead," Shawn warned him. "And Zee's mine forever."<br>"Oh for the love of god," Zenina groused.

She'd kept quiet for quite long enough; she wasn't about to listen to this pissing contest anymore. Because honestly? She loved Danny, she did… but against Shawn he didn't stand a chance.

"Shawn, you know I still love Danny," she stated, planting her hands on her hips. "And I know damn well you won't let me leave the circus. So let Danny join. You're short a strongman, aren't you? Solution's standing right there."  
>"And our arrangement?" Shawn asked, sounding thoughtful, though Zenina knew that he was only asking to piss Danny off further.<br>"Will remain, of course," Zenina replied tightly. "So nothing changes, and you've got a new act. Good deal for you, don't you think?"  
>"When the new act's as much trouble as the kid's gonna be?" Shawn countered. "Getting pissed off and jealous every time I need you?"<br>"He'll deal with it," Zenina replied, her voice leaving no room for either man to argue.  
>Shawn shrugged. "Then I'm fine with it."<br>"Excellent," Zenina said, turning to Danny. "Welcome to the family."

Shawn smirked and leaned back on his couch. Well, he considered that a successful business arrangement.


	32. Burn

**Author's Note**: Yeah, this one really ran away with me. Even with 600-plus words, this is one of the scenes I almost wish I'd done as a full one-shot, just so I could play more with Joey's thinking and the mechanics of what Trick is doing.

Our image for this chapter comes from fanart for _Sabriel_, by Garth Nix. I love his _Abhorsen_ trilogy [obviously, since that's where Trick's abilities come from], and I absolutely loooooove Touchstone. I want a Touchstone. Anyways, the image isn't entirely appropriate for this drabble, but it gives the feeling I want- you've got one injured party [in this case, injured and stuck in the realm of Death], and the other party refuses to leave the injured one behind [yay love making you do stupid things].

**Images**: http:/ 25. media. tumblr. com/ tumblr_ le 5 o 0 ziLmP 1 qav 9 ywo 1_ 500. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Joey/Ava.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: necromantic ritual, brush with death.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: All similarity to _Abhorsen_ is intentional, but I don't own it.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Occult, Angst, Love.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 635.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Almost Easy_, Avenged Sevenfold.

XXX

He'd been so determined to stay away from her.

He wasn't sure how she did it, but Ava made him burn. It was a pleasure that was very nearly pain, or perhaps a pain that was almost pleasure. Either way, this was a fire he couldn't control, and he had no desire for it to turn and burn him.

Then Tony came bursting in and set him aflame.

"You gotta come," he'd panted, rubbing his pale, scar-mottled chest. "Trick… working… something went wrong… Ava's stuck."  
>"What?" Joey snarled.<p>

Fear mixed with anger and exploded into flames. The fire surged through him as he wrenched open the door, keeping him going even as the sun hit him and immediately began to burn him. Who gave a fuck about the sun, the fire inside was far more deadly.

It was like he'd stumbled into some occult horror movie when he threw himself into Trick's shadowed trailer. Ava lay on the ground surrounded by a ring of black crystals, naked beneath a blanket and pale as death. Trick knelt by her, eyes unfocused, gripping his Abhorsen bells.

"What happened?" Joey rasped.  
>"A wendigo," Trick said grimly, his voice gravelly and sounding far away. "Attacked us on the far side of the third river."<br>"Don't give me your necro-bullshit," Joey snapped. "Tell me what fucking happened to her."  
>"She attacked the wendigo to keep it from feeding on me. And it hurt her, bad. Bad enough so that she's having trouble passing back through the Veil."<br>"What do we do about it?"  
>"We give her a reason to come back."<br>Joey blinked. "Why am I here?"

Neither Trick nor Tony answered in words. They just gave him a Look.

"So… what do I do?" Joey asked, uncomfortable.  
>"I ring the bell, you talk," Trick replied. "Tell her why she's gotta come back."<br>"What makes you think she'll listen to me?"

Again, no answers; just Looks. Fuck that Look and fuck the Spencers. He wasn't human anymore, he should not be blushing.

Still, Joey found himself sinking to his knees, hesitantly taking Ava's hand and frowning when he felt how cold it was. Ava's heart beat twice as fast as a human's thanks to her bird genes, which usually made her a little space heater; she shouldn't be this cold. Without even thinking about it, the flames licked through his veins, transferring his heat into her.

Trick closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath and releasing it in three waves. Again, then once more. Then he rang the bell with a complicated series of wrist rolls and flicks. Joey swallowed hard; that was his cue.

"Hey," he said uneasily. "Little bird. You in there?"

Silence. Well, this was awkward.

"You gotta wake up now. I don' t trust Trick to try and find you if you die."  
>"Hey!"<br>Joey ignored him. "You can't die, you're the only one who scratches behind Tony's ears right."

More silence. What, Tony wasn't enough motivation?

Joey sighed; fuck. He hadn't wanted to do this… He leaned down. If he had to say this, he was damn well only saying it to her.

"Come back, Ava," he whispered, hardly daring to form the words. "Come back to me."

Silence.

Then a soft, barely discernable sigh.

"There you are," Trick said softly, a moment before the bells rang again.

Joey pulled away, anxious. A moment later, he was staring into her golden eyes, and he was pretty sure the rest of the world was set ablaze.

"Hey," he breathed.  
>"Hi," she whispered.<p>

It all kinda hit him then. Fuck, she'd been _dying_. He'd very nearly _lost_ her. That was all the motivation he needed to place his lips on hers.

Oh. So this was what it felt like to burn. Well. This wasn't so bad.


	33. Possessive

**Author's Note**: I've gotten far too interested in the dynamics of Shawn and Zenina's twisted relationship. Trying to figure out if they love each other, lust after each other, need each other, or if they're just bound to each other… I can never make up my mind. Maybe it's all of the above; perhaps it's none of the above, but something deeper. In any case, it's Shawn smut featuring possessive Shawn, so I'm happy.

**Images**: http:/ th 05. deviantart. net/ fs 70/ PRE/ i/ 2011/ 181/ 6/ c/ a_ lovers_ embrace_ by_ lianneamanda 20- d 3 kkdcn. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Shawn/Zenina.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Sex.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I promise I didn't write this drabble just so I could imagine Shawn naked… much…  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Sex.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 250.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Crazy Bitch_, Buckcherry.

XXX

Shawn had long since discovered that he could affect Zenina's visions by what he did to her. If he took his time and was gentle(ish) with her, she'd See further and more broadly, whereas if he took her quick and dirty, he'd likely get a prophecy more immediate, but with greater detail.

He pushed her into the wall, devouring her mouth as he trapped her in his arms. They didn't usually kiss, for obvious reasons; though he could read her mind, he usually needed her to explain her visions. But he wasn't quite so interested in the future today.

"Tell me who you fucking belong to," he growled, getting impatient and simply ripping their clothes off.

He wasn't jealous of Daniel. The kid was free to marry Zee; that wasn't why Shawn needed her. He already had Mia to make a life with. But he was the Ringmaster, and she was his Oracle, and he would damn well remind everyone who was in control.

"You," Zenina gasped, already getting lightheaded as he impaled her.

She wasn't jealous of Amelia. She had no desire to build a life with Shawn; he wasn't the sort of man she could curl up with to read the Sunday paper, or depend on when life got hectic; hell, he was usually the reason why her life got chaotic. But she was the Oracle, and he was her gateway to Vision, and she would protect that connection.

"Who do you belong to?"  
>"You."<br>"How long?"  
>"Always."<p> 


	34. Still Here

**Author's Note**: Once upon a time, Trick used to be cool. The way he told Bri he liked her? He just walked up to her stand and kissed her. Trick's not so cool anymore; he's kind of a spazzy little shit. So I couldn't really get Trick and Brixton together the way it actually happened on the board. Still, I tried to pay homage to it.

I also tried to tip my hat to the way Brixton originally joined the circus. Originally, I believe she caught one of the vampires feeding, and Joey converted her to prevent Shawn from killing her. The circus is a dangerous place sometimes, and Trick is much more aware of that than Bri.

**Images**: http:/ static. tumblr. com/ qjwddmp/ BcSldow 03/ tumblr_ l 8 ibvwvtfd 1 qcc 1 q 0 o 1_ 500. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Brick!  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Implied Ringmaster douchebaggery.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Brick's original plot arc was Henderson's brainchild.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Love.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 170.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Dog Days Are Coming_, Florence + The Machine.

XXX

"You're still here?" Trick asked Brixton, brow furrowing as they shared a funnel cake.  
>She grinned, licking sugar off her lips. "Shawn offered to let me stay on as a hairdresser if I agreed to sell funnel cakes, too. Isn't it great?"<p>

Trick swallowed hard. Brixton might think it was great, but to Trick it was a nightmare. He knew what Shawn was doing. Brixton must have _seen_ something, and now Shawn was trapping her here. And she had no idea.

He had to protect her, somehow.

"I like you," he blurted out. "I'm glad you're staying."

Brixton stared at him, eyes wide, and he mentally cursed himself. He'd said that out loud, hadn't he?

Still, when he realized that they were kissing, he couldn't complain.

"So," Bri murmured against his lips. "Since I'm gonna be staying here, care to show me around?"

Yeah, he could do that. And maybe if he was really lucky, he could figure out a way to keep Shawn from sinking his claws into her.


	35. Jokes

**Author's Note**: Hmph. This was supposed to be a silly, fluffy drabble that worshipped Tony and Ava at their adorable, giggly bests. Instead, it got surprisingly dark, and twisted my original idea of "Tony teasing Ava" into "Tony teases Ava to distract himself from how disturbing, dangerous and impossible her relationship is." I mean, it's cool that this idea came to me, because when you think about it, human/vampire relationships are utterly impossible [Twilight fans, I am looking at you], so to acknowledge that is great. But… I really did want to write that silly, fluffy drabble and I am put out that Tony wouldn't let me.

There's a lot of very subtle references in this drabble, specifically in regards to Ava's injuries. Joey's a vampire, a creature with supernatural strength, who has the additional gift of playing with fire. Ava is part bird, with very delicate bones and a fear of fire. Joey may try to be careful, but I imagine that Ava gets hurt in bed a lot; all it takes is for Joey to lose control for a second, and BAM! He burns Ava by accident, or breaks her bones.

This drabble pays homage to a plot line that was developing on TWE before it closed, and involved Joey losing his temper and accidentally burning Ava. It was a lovely, angsty moment and I'm very sorry we didn't get to finish dealing with it.

**Images**: http:/ cdn. buzznet. com/ assets/ users 16/ mikeywayishot/ default/ jimmy- leana- silver- wedding- large- msg- 120121651817. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Joey/Ava as seen by Tony and Trick.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Implied repeated injury, Angst.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Psychology.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 150.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Disturbia_, Rhianna.

XXX

Trick and Tony teased Joey and Ava a lot. Tony teased Ava for smelling like "old man and jackass"; Trick asked Joey if he ever got sick of tasting feathers. When they found bruises, breaks and burns, the Spencers would try to laugh, and told the little bird to stop playing with fire.

They made light of it, but it wasn't funny.

It was an impossible relationship. Joey was a vampire; on some level, he saw Ava as food. Ava was part bird; birds instinctually fear fire. He would never die; because of her avian genes, her life expectancy was half as much as a human's. Despite falling in love, Joey was adamant that he would not turn Ava, that he would find a way to follow her when she died.

They made jokes to keep from focusing on the utter impossibility of a happy ending for this love story.


	36. Belonging

**Author's Note**: Have I ever mentioned how much I love Shawn and Daniel's pissing contest? Coz I really, really do. I could write an entire story just about this awkward triangle. However, all story arcs need resolution, and this is Daniel and Zenina's.

**Images**: http:/ blogs. guardian. co. uk/ film/ solveig 460. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Daniel/Zenina; discussion of Shawn/Zenina.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: If you squint, you'll see an homage to Twilight. Fluff.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Love.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 400  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Let Me Call You Sweetheart_, Kate Smith.

XXX

Once you got past the fact that Shawn was involved, life in the circus wasn't so bad. Being the strong man was easy; strength was Daniel's vampiric gift anyways. Walk around, flex some muscles, pose for pictures, lift a car with one hand, and done. If this was his afterlife, it wasn't so bad.

Except…

He hadn't seen much of Zenina. They'd argued- about Shawn, of course- and since then she'd given him a wide berth. Which fucking sucked; they should have been celebrating their reunion, not arguing about her relationship with his sire.

He realized they had forever to reconcile… but he kinda wanted her now.

He found her in the bigtop, lazily swinging on the trapeze, apparently unconcerned that she could fall and break her neck. She looked ethereal and not quite real, a dream he'd been chasing for sixty years. He was tired of chasing a memory. He wanted the reality.

"Shawn wasn't kidding when he said he owned you, was he?"

She didn't seem surprised to see him. She slid backwards, hanging from the trapeze by her knees. She got the trapeze swinging, then flipped herself off, summersaulting in midair and landing lightly on her feet.

Showoff.

"Nope," she said simply. "I stopped Seeing, after you… I thought you'd died," she said in a rush. "I got mad. I didn't want to See anymore, but when I stopped, I aged. Shawn and I have a deal- I'm his private Oracle. But that's all."  
>"And you have to fuck him?" Danny asked, unable to help the jealousy.<br>"That's how the trance works. It's either sex or drugs," Zenina said honestly. "It's not for love, Danny."

Danny sighed, running a hand through his hair. Well, when you put it that way, Zee's situation wasn't enviable; shit, she was virtually Shawn's prisoner; sex toy and psychic.

"I don't care if he owns you," he finally said, hesitant. "You belong to me."

He bit his lip, afraid she'd take that wrong. He didn't want to be as much of a douchebag as Shawn, making claims on her as if she were a slave. Fortunately, Zenina took it in the spirit it was intended.

"Always," she whispered.

He was never, _ever_ going to thank Shawn for being the catalyst behind their reunion. And every time Shawn put his greedy hands on Danny's wife, Danny would just have to restake his claim.


	37. Differences Between Us

**Author's Note**: For a long time this drabble couldn't decide which direction it was going to go. Either Mia and Zenina were going to be implacable enemies, or they were going to be best friends. Took them a while to make up their minds. I had no idea how this drabble would end up; I was quite surprised with the way this turned out.

Please, don't ask me why I chose this song for this drabble. I have no defense, either for the song itself, the original artist, or the fact that I'm using the cover.

**Images**: http:/ fatemisunderstood. files. wordpress. com/ 2008/ 06/ mattpj 9 xr 81. jpg? w= 187 &h= 300  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Mia/Zenina, discussion of Shawn/Zenina and Shawn/Mia.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Friendship.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 215.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Poker Face_, Glee cover.

XXX

"I need you to explain your relationship with Shawn."

Zenina blinked as she was cornered in Shawn's kitchen by his new girlfriend. Well… this was awkward.

"What do you mean?" Zenina asked, making her tea.  
>"I know that Shawn's not gonna give you up," Mia elaborated, biting her lip. "But I don't want to share him. I need to understand why you're always gonna be around."<p>

Fair enough.

"I'm sure he's told you, it's not love keeping us together," Zenina said, offering Mia a cup. "He loves _you_, Amelia. I've Seen you together."  
>"You have?" Mia asked, distracted despite herself.<br>Zenina nodded. "I'm his possession. You're his treasure. There's no competition between us, I promise you."  
>"You don't want him," Mia confirmed.<br>"No," Zenina said. "And he doesn't want me. Not for me, anyways. He wants me for what I can show him, that's all. But you? He wants you simply for you. And I'm happy for you both. It's about time he found someone like you."  
>"Really?" Mia asked softly.<br>Zenina nodded. "I've known Shawn a long time," she said. "He's never cared about someone as much as you. You're very good for him."  
>"Thank you," Mia said softly.<p>

And just like that, they went from being enemies to becoming friends and staunch allies.


	38. The Truth

**Author's Note**: This drabble is a filler, because I wanted more Brick. I had intended for them to just have some fluffy cuteness time, but then Shawn showed up and poof, there went my good times. I grumbled a lot about Shawn while I was writing this drabble; my unhealthy love for him dropped quite a lot [at least for a moment].

**Images**: http:/ 1. bp. blogspot. com/ _DeCfb 5 f _TcI/ TCl 9 TZBoNVI/ AAAAAAAAAWs/ pKMqlvPhrq 4/ s 1600/ tumblr_ l 4 ooriU 0 Pg 1qb 0 h 75 o 1_ 500. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Brick!  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Ringmaster douchebaggery.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I stole and paraphrased a line from _Alice_, the 2009 SyFy miniseries. If you find it, I'll give you a cookie.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Romance.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 320.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Look After You_, The Fray.

XXX

Funny, Trick had become kind of blinded to the oddities of his home. He'd been in the circus for nine years, since he was eighteen; he no longer found it strange to walk past a strongman holding up a car and didn't blink an eye to see Dante pulling sleight of hand while talking to an innocent. But through Brixton's eyes, he could see the beauty and the wonder in the circus again.

Unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough to protect her from the dark side.

"What the _fuck_?"

Trick froze, immediately seeing what Brixton had, just as Shawn dropped the body and licked his lips. He turned, saw them, and smirked.

"Well, well."

Oh shit.

"You know what this means, Trick," Shawn said simply. "Explain things to her."

As he headed off, completely unconcerned with the remains of his meal, he tossed a smirk over his shoulder to Brixton.

"Welcome to the family."

Trick really fucking hated that line of his.

Bri turned to him, her eyes wide with fear and panic. Trick sighed, shoulders slumping.

"I'm sorry," he said dully. "I'm so, so sorry."  
>"Trick?" Bri asked fearfully.<br>"This circus… everything's real," he said simply. "And it's run by vampires."  
>Bri gulped. "Are you…?"<br>"No," Trick said quickly.  
>"What did Shawn mean?" Bri asked, eyes darting across his face.<br>Trick bit his lip. "Now that you know… we can't let you leave," he said softly. "Shawn won't take the risk of you talking."  
>Bri's eyes flew open. "So… so I'm stuck?"<br>Trick nodded, miserable. "I'm so sorry, Bri."

Brixton swallowed hard, eyes unfocusing as she processed. Trick's gaze dropped to the ground as he felt crushed beneath his guilt, helplessly mourning for everything Bri had just lost.

"Will you look out for me?" Bri asked softly. "Make sure I'm okay?"

Trick's head shot up, and he immediately wrapped his arms around his tiny girlfriend.

"Always," he whispered. "I promise."


	39. Fire Birds

**Author's Note**: You know what irritates me about Joey? He never says _I love you_. Nor does he really demonstrate his love for Ava. You're just kinda supposed to know that it's there. It always struck me as bizarre that my bubbly, incredibly affectionate Ava never minded that Joey never really proved his love; she was perfectly fine with taking it for granted. Then Megan came up with the idea of the fire birds, and Ava and I fell in love. I had to introduce you to the fire birds.

**Images**: http:/ www. cedarphoenix. org/ UserContent/ simplysimon/ images/ phoenix- rising. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Joey/Ava.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: The idea of fire birds belongs to Megan; I just happen to be utterly in love with them.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Love.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 115.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Free Fallin_, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

XXX

Birds fear fire.

Fire burns, singes, destroys, kills. Fire is uncontrollable, unstoppable, unquenchable.

The eagle feared the fire that danced on the vampire's fingers.

But Ava was in love with Joey.

And despite herself, she had to admit that his act was beautiful. The fire created patterns of light and shadow over his angular face, making him look mysterious, dangerous. He twisted and contorted and whirled, the flames dancing around him.

He ended his act by releasing a flock of fire birds.

It was a public declaration and a private message of _I love you_. He never said it out loud.

But when she saw the fire birds, he didn't need to say a word.


	40. Ladykiller

**Author's Note**: AHA! I found Shawn's heart! Apparently Henderson was right; hiding under all that Ringmaster douchebaggery is the actual, original Shawn [seriously, get Shawn out of circus RPs and he is the sweetest guy in the world]. I felt like this drabble was necessary, after all that Shawn/Zenina exploring I did. Shawn's final pairing is not Shawn/Zenina, it is Shawn/Mia, and this drabble illustrates why. She's the only one he'd do something like this for.

Also, just so you know, in the TWE universe, vampires can eat human food in small quantities. So before you contemplate the oddities of a vampire picnic… yeah, they can eat.

**Images**: http:/ 26. media. tumblr. com/ tumblr_ lkugg 92 WYk 1 qi 13 rzo 1_ 500. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Shawn/Mia.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Fluff [with heavy assistance from the Ringmaster's children].  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Romance.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 237.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _You Make Me Smile_, Blue October.

XXX

Shawn had never had to romance a girl before. I mean, look at him; if his wicked muscles didn't do the work for him, his killer dimples did it. He'd never had to try to get girls into bed with him.

However, there was a difference between getting a girl into his bed and getting into a girl's heart. As much experience as he had with the former, he had virtually none with the latter.

He was never gonna tell Mia that he'd gone to Zenina for advice. Somehow, it seemed wrong to tell his girlfriend that he'd gone to his mistress for help in wooing said girlfriend. But Zenina gave good advice.

"What's all this?"

Shawn turned, watching Mia walk into the bigtop, watching her eyes open wide in surprise. He'd climbed up to the tent roof and opened a skylight, letting moonlight diffuse in and mingle with the hundreds of candles [helpfully lit by Joey], illuminating the picnic he'd had Trick make [spazzy little shit was a fucking amazing chef].

He shrugged, fighting to keep his composure. "Thought you'd like it."  
>"You did all this for me?" Mia asked. "What do you want?"<p>

As if he couldn't do something nice for his girlfriend without ulterior motives? Hmph.

He leaned down, catching her lips with his. "You," he murmured. "Just you."

Maybe it'd be fun trying to get into Mia's heart instead of just her pants.


	41. Incredulity

**Author's Note**: While I was writing this drabble, I came to the uncomfortable realization that I cannot write about a vampiric circus without dealing with _Twilight_. Dante's addiction to Elise's blood is my version of _la tua cantante_. Most of my vampires have additional gifts. Daniel? Absolutely Emmett Cullen [down to the play-by]. And Ava is like a non-irritating, mostly rational Bella Swan. This realization makes me incredibly sad.

However, I do like this drabble, because of Melody. Thank you, Melody, for channeling my reaction to _Twilight_.

**Images**: http:/ data. whicdn. com/ images/ 1237940/ leana- noelle- macfadden- large- msg- 124008727734_ thumb. jpg? 1262242077  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Ava/Melody, discussion of Joey/Ava.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Friendship.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 270.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Blood_, My Chemical Romance.

XXX

"You cannot be serious."

Ava sighed, curling deeper into the couch. She'd known Melody would have this reaction…

"I'm serious."  
>"No. No you're not," the bloodwhore said, shaking her head. "You are <em>not<em> going to marry him."  
>"Yes, I am."<br>"But _why_?" Melody asked, baffled. "He's a monster, Ava! We're just food to them!"

Ava bit her lip, sighing again. How could she explain? Melody only saw Joey when he wanted food. She saw the bloodthirsty vampire… But she didn't see the sly, sarcastic, grounding force Joey was when he wasn't hungry.

"He's not a monster," Ava defended him. "He's Joey. And I love him."  
>"How can you marry a vampire?" Melody continued, emphatic. "What happens when you start to age? He'll drop you and find a new fuck buddy!"<br>"It's not like that," Ava frowned. "He loves me."

Melody scoffed. Well, Ava couldn't blame her; most of the circus was incredulous that Joey and Ava were still together after a year. To imagine that the flame-dealing vampire and the avian shifter could actually make a marriage work did sound ludicrous.

"What if I lose you?" Melody asked, voice tiny.  
>Ava lunged across the couch, hugging her tightly. "Never," she vowed.<br>"Don't get converted," Melody whispered, hugging her back. "I don't want my only friend to turn into a monster."

Ava didn't answer. She was still arguing the issue of her conversion with Joey. He wouldn't give her eternity, but couldn't he see that she needed forever with him?

"No matter what happens, you won't lose me," Ava promised. "Ever."  
>"Love you," Melody muttered.<br>Ava nodded. "I love you too."


	42. Misplaced Guilt

**Author's Note**: I feel like this drabble may be a little bit superfluous. However, it's going in anyways, because it's Brick-centric and I love Brick. Plus, I wanted to hear Bri make a verbal commitment to Trick, because I love the way she puts him in his place and doesn't let him pull any of his shit.

**Images**: http:/ cdn. buzznet. com/ assets/ users 16/ zackysangel/ default/ gena- and- zacky- large- msg- 120009390661. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Brick!  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Trick Angsting. Again.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Love.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 150.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Iris_, Goo Goo Dolls.

XXX

"Do you ever regret being stuck here?"

It was a question that had bothered Trick ever since the day Brixton learned the truth. Since that fateful day, they hadn't talked about it; Brixton had thrown herself into working with hair and selling funnel cakes, Trick had done his work, at night they would come home and hang out with Tony. Days, weeks, and months passed, but they didn't talk about it.

Well, he had to talk about it. Just once. Just to make sure he wasn't gonna lose her, too.

Bri glanced up, catching his gaze in the mirror while her hands gently massaged the purple dye into his hair.

"No," she answered. "Being here got me you, didn't it?"  
>Trick nodded. "Till death do us part," he promised.<br>"Knowing you, probably not even then," Bri smiled. "Stop feeling guilty, Trick. I'm happy, okay?"

Trick nodded. He could handle that.


	43. New Addiction

**Author's Note**: I don't know why I love this drabble so much. Probably because it's quirky and ridiculous and very, very Dante and Elise. This is just the way they'd handle this issue, and it makes me giggle.

About the song for this chapter… what? You didn't think Dante and Elise would have a sappy romantic love song, did you?

**Images**: http:/ cdn. buzznet. com/ assets/ users16/ misfitsupreme/ default/ michelle- dibenedetto- synsyter- gates- large- msg- 122435871832. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Dante/Elise.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: I guess it's a kind of graphic description of bloodsucking?  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Love.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 200.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Smoothie King_, Bowling For Soup.

XXX

Apparently, Dante had a problem with addiction.

Once, he'd been addicted to Elise's blood; its perfect hot temperature, its thickness as it slid down his throat, the way it ignited all the right taste buds. The scent, the taste, the texture; her blood had driven him mad.

Now, he was just addicted to her. Her heat, the feel of her in his arms, the way she set him aflame while simultaneously calming him down. Her smile, her eyes, her ass; she was going to be the death of him.

Why was he was so helplessly, hopelessly addicted to her?

He was contemplating all of this when Elise rolled her eyes.

"You moron," she said fondly. "That's not addiction. It's love."

Dante blinked, thoughts skidding to a stop before redirecting themselves into panic mode. Love? Oh hell. He was a dude, he didn't do love, love was dangerous, love got you hurt, danger, danger Will Robinson!

"Shut up," Elise said, walking over and settling herself in his lap. "Stop panicking. I love you too."

Oh.

"You do?" Dante asked, tilting his head.  
>Elise rolled her eyes. "Yes. Moron. You think too loud. Stop it and kiss me."<p>

His girl fucking rocked.


	44. Influence

**Author's Note**: So now that the Mia/Shawn/Zenina/Daniel clusterfuck has basically resolved itself, there's one last thing I get to play with- the influence Mia and Zenina both hold over Shawn. Both Mia and Zenina have a good hold on Shawn and know how to sway him; can you imagine what they could accomplish together? Well, you're going to find out later in the series. For now, however, let me lay the groundwork.

Sidenote, I wasn't expecting Mia and Zenina to get along so well. However, they have become freakishly close besties; they giggle and skip through my head arm in arm, whispering to each other like schoolgirls. It's kind of adorable.

**Images**: http:/ cdn. buzznet. com/ assets/ users 16/ confession 13/ default/ valarydibenedetto- large- msg- 123335358878. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Mia/Zenina.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Psychology.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 100.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _You've Got a Friend in Me_, Randy Newman.

XXX

There was an argument going on around The Wicked End.

Some were Team Amelia. She was, after all, the Ringmaster's wife; surely no one held more influence over him. She had his heart; she must have his ear as well.

Others were Team Zenina. She was the Ringmaster's Oracle; whatever she told him, he believed. And, she had the benefit of a long relationship with him; surely he trusted her the most.

The truth, however, was that Amelia and Zenina were a pair, a perfect team. Put the two of them on an issue, and Shawn didn't stand a chance.


	45. Nightmare

**Author's Note**: This one-shot is kind of a plot cul-de-sac. A lot of the time when Henderson and I RP'd Trick and Bri on boards, Brixton didn't know about Trick's past; he'd put it behind him and never talked about the family he'd lost. Then I got interested in Trick still being haunted by the deaths of his family. On TWE especially, Trick suffered from acute PTSD and survivor's guilt, which was most strongly expressed by his frequent nightmares. And that's what this drabble is about.

About the image… yeah, that's one I made. If you notice any similarity between AV, Max and Christian and certain other characters currently residing in the circus [specifically Zenina, Shawn and Dante]… Oh trust me, it's intentional. Part of the fun of Trick's story was that the family he lost looked really similar to the family he eventually returned to.

**Images**: http:/ www. polyvore. com/ cgi/ set? id= 37124525  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: None.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Angst, Pain, Grief and Death.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Trick's backstory belongs to me; the saga of the Princes of Huntington Beach [also known as the Spencer family] belongs to me and Megan.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Angst.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 600.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Nightmare_, Avenged Sevenfold.

XXX

Brixton was a light sleeper. If Trick muttered in his sleep or even shifted too violently, she would wake up.

Which really made his nightmares a bitch.

A soft whimper jolted Bri awake. She sat up, groggy until she saw Trick shifting restlessly, muttering to himself.

"Trick?" she whispered, rubbing his shoulder.

Sometimes, simply rubbing Trick's back was enough to ease away the nightmares.

"No… nonono…"

And sometimes, it just made them worse.

Brixton scooted backwards as Trick began thrashing, his whimpers gaining in volume and pain. The moment the first cry left Trick's mouth, the door flew open and Tony was there like an avenging angel, landing on the bed with a flying leap.

"No… _no_… run, damnit!" Trick cried.  
>"Tony, what does he dream about?" Bri asked, weariness and despair tinging her voice desperate.<br>"Go into the living room, Bri," Tony said, wrapping his arms around his brother and wrestling him when Trick struggled. "I'll calm him down and explain."

The hairs stood up on Bri's arms as Trick's anguished scream- _No! Run! AV, RUN! NO! __**MAX**__!_- followed her out to the living room. She sank onto the couch, shivering and wrapping a blanket around her shoulders.

Trick never talked about his nightmares, even when they kept all three of them up all night. Trick would stumble around like a zombie the next morning, dark circles under his shadowed eyes, made all the darker by his pale, somber face. But while it was clear that he suffered, he never shared the burden with Brixton.

Sometimes, she wondered if she really wanted to know what terrors haunted him.

She stayed on the couch, silently crying when she heard the low murmer of Tony's voice, Trick's startled gasp as he finally woke up. She wrapped her arms around herself, rocking back and forth, wishing she was the one comforting Trick when she heard him break down in great, shuddering sobs.

It was an eternity before Tony finally walked out into the living room and silently sat down beside Bri, drawing her into his embrace and letting her cry out her fear and frustration onto his scar-mottled shoulder.

"We had a family, once," Tony began softly. "Me and Aaron. Max and Christian, they found us, took us in. We were brothers in every way that mattered. Then me and Aaron found AV, and we became whole."

Tony was silent for a long minute, swallowing back tears as he forced himself to continue.

"We were a gang, Brixton," he admitted. "And we got into a turf war. That's what Aaron dreams about. AV getting shot before our eyes. Her and Max's son Patrick dying in Max's arms, because he was premature and just wasn't strong enough. Holding Max as he bled out and died in Aaron's arms. Christian…" Tony's voice caught here, but he forced himself to finish the story. "Christian was shot in front of him, made Aaron swear to run with his dying breath. He watched his entire family get killed, Bri. He's not Vengeance anymore, he's moved past it. But he's never gotten over watching them all die."

At some point, Bri's tears of frustration turned into tears of horror, her heart breaking with pity for Trick's pain. She couldn't imagine what he must have gone through on the streets; how had he escaped his family's murders with his sanity intact?

"What can I do?" she whispered. "I'm his wife, I have to do something, I… what do I do, Tony?"  
>Tony smiled cheerlessly. "You remind him that he's still alive, that the nightmare's over. You be his light."<p> 


	46. Monster

**Author's Note**: Ava never got converted on the TWE board; the issue of her conversion was always a bone of contention between Mr. and Mrs. Haner, actually. Joey argued that she didn't need to be converted; when she died, he'd follow, end of story. Ava argued that she wanted to spend forever with Joey, so he should stop being stubborn and just turn her already. I had a plan for how Ava would eventually be converted, but this idea is better.

This one-shot represents a big time jump. While I hope you've caught on that months have passed from the beginning of the story to now, this one-shot takes place nearly five years after Ava first joins the circus. Yay time warps!

**Images**: http:/ cdn. buzznet. com/ assets/ users 16/ misfitsupreme/ default/ large- msg- 122481275637. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Joey/Ava.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Ringmaster douchebaggery.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Drama, Psychology.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 300.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _A Little Piece of Heaven_, Avenged Sevenfold.

XXX

Joey had never thought that he would actually want to kill his sire. Sure, he knew that plenty of Shawn's "children" had grudges against him, but Joey had never thought he would ever be one of them.

Now, though, he utterly understood why people like Daniel could get so angry at Shawn.

"No!" Joey snapped. "I'm not gonna do it."  
>"And I'm not gonna lose Ava," Shawn glared. "I know you. If she dies, you'll die, and I'm not losing my best fire act."<br>"I don't care, Shawn, I'm not fucking turning her," Joey snarled.  
>"You convert her, or I will," Shawn threatened.<p>

Well, that wasn't much of a choice.

Perversely, Joey cursed Ava for getting into this situation. She'd caught avian flu, and she simply wasn't strong enough to fight it off. She was going to die… and when she did Joey was going to convert her.

He'd never wanted to convert her. He didn't want to lose her ridiculous body heat, her frantic heartbeat. He wanted to keep that beautiful, terrifying dichotomy where she thought she could take on the world, even though she was human and fragile and could so easily be crushed.

And his sire was the one demanding that he sacrifice everything he loved most about his little bird. Even the combined efforts of Amelia and Zenina hadn't been enough to sway Shawn; when they failed, you knew you were in trouble. He had no choice; he had to do the very thing he'd sworn never, _ever _to put Ava through.

He could kill Shawn for this.

Melody was right; he was a monster. The fact that they now got forever together didn't forgive him for damning her. Nothing would ever cancel out the fact that he was killing her to make her like him.


	47. Promise

**Author's Note**: The plot twist that comes in this drabble is the entire reason I created the character of Melody. But I wasn't prepared for just how disturbing Melody's story would be, or how much it would affect me. I feel so incredibly sorry for her; this situation is just horrible.

**Images**: http:/ ofwnow. com/ wp- content/ uploads/ image/ _2010/ nov/ pregnant % 20 girl. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Ava/Melody.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Angst, Impending Doom.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Friendship.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 300.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Walk Through the Fire_, Buffy [_Once More With Feeling_].

XXX

"Melody, what's wrong?"

Melody's head shot up, eyes wide. Shit, she hadn't realized she'd spaced out... again.

She was doing that a lot, lately, and every time she berated herself. Her end was on the horizon, steadily approaching, and yet here she was wasting precious minutes utterly lost in a daze. She had promised herself she wasn't going to waste a single one of the minutes that remained to her, and yet that was exactly what she kept doing.

"Sorry," she apologized. "Just… preoccupied."  
>Ava tilted her head, her golden eyes curious. "With?"<p>

Melody had made up her mind the moment she realized her predicament. She knew exactly what the Ringmaster would do to her when he noticed her condition; she didn't stand a chance. But as for the secret she carried… Maybe there was a chance that she could save that secret, and repay Ava for years of loyal friendship in the bargain.

"Will you promise me something?" she asked.  
>"Of course," Ava said immediately.<br>Melody drew a deep breath, her gaze dropping to her still-flat abdomen. "Promise me you'll raise her. I know you can't have kids of your own now, so… I want you to have her. I want you to be a mother."

Ava's jaw dropped in shock. She had no idea how Melody had even managed to get pregnant; the bloodwhores were watched like hawks to prevent this very thing from happening. And everyone knew what happened to bloodwhores who slipped their leashes; the Ringmaster wasn't known for clemency.

"Melody…" Ava said helplessly, before lunging and wrapping her friend in her arms, as tight as she could without hurting the younger girl. "I'll miss you," she whispered.  
>"I'll miss you too," Melody whispered, fear and sorrow coating her voice. "But it'll be better than here."<p> 


	48. Worth It

**Author's Note**: Yes, this drabble is kind of redundant and unnecessary, considering the last chapter. But I don't care, I like it anyways. I wanted to explore the reason why Melody rebelled and got herself in this fix, and this is what I came up with.

**Images**: http:/ www. enjoyfrance. com/ images/ stories/ france/ news/ pregnant- woman. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: None.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Ringmaster douchebaggery; illusion to eventual character death.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Angst, Psychology.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 130.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _The Time of My Life_, David Cook.

XXX

Once news of Melody's pregnancy broke, reactions were many and varied. Some thought she was suicidal for defying the Ringmaster. Others scorned her for being so stupid as to get pregnant. Some were completely disinterested in the plight of a bloodwhore.

Melody didn't give a rat's ass about what anyone thought of her anymore.

The bloodwhores gave their lives and literally their blood to the circus, but they weren't people, they were possessions. They had no pleasures, no interests, nothing outside the existence the Ringmaster gave them.

Melody had tried to rebel against that existence. She didn't even know his name. It hadn't mattered; he had _seen_ her. Her, not a bloodwhore, but Melody. And just for that, she would die convinced that everything she had done was worth it.


	49. Blackmail

**Author's Note**: This drabble is the payoff for my sub-plot about Mia and Zenina's friendship and that drabble I wrote about which of them has more influence over Shawn. As I said then, they are most effective when they work together. This drabble is an example of them working together. Get these two women together and you don't stand a chance against them.

Also, I realize that the blackmail Mia uses seems completely out of character for Shawn… but I simply _had_ to do this. Anyone who's a fan of M. Shadows, as I am, will understand why this was the only possible blackmail I could have possibly used.

**Images**: http:/ favim. com/ orig/ 201105/ 22/ a7x- dimples- fucking- awesome- m- shadows- smile- Favim. com- 52816. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Mia/Zenina, Mia/Shawn.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Hilarity.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: This drabble is based on actual events.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Humor.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 215.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Barbie Girl_, Aqua.

XXX

Usually, Mia and Zenina tried not to get in Shawn's way when he'd made his mind up. He was the Ringmaster, and his word was law.

However, when the Ringmaster was completely and utterly wrong, Mia and Zenina weren't afraid to challenge him.

Shawn was well aware that Zenina couldn't lie to him when she was in her Oracular trance. So when she Saw Ava holding a baby in her arms, that meant it was a genuine Vision, not just what Zee wanted to happen.

And if he chose to ignore his Oracle's vision, his wife was more than willing to blackmail him.

"What the fuck?" Shawn asked, anger and horror mixing.

Displayed on his 72" plasma screen TV was a video of himself, dancing like a moron and singing along to Aqua's _Barbie Girl_. Holy shit, who the fuck had managed to get footage of this without his knowledge? And why hadn't he killed them and burned the tape?

"You let Ava take that baby, or this is going on youtube, damnit," Mia said, her voice hard.  
>"You wouldn't dare," Shawn said.<p>

Mia simply pointed to her laptop, letting Shawn see that he was only one click away from that exact fate. That left him with no choice.

Exactly what Mia and Zenina wanted.


	50. Mommy

**Author's Note**: This drabble is the resolution for Melody's plot arc. As I said, Melody was created as a character to serve the purpose of giving Ava a baby. There was a time when I got really interested in how Joey and Ava would handle being parents. However, vampires cannot have or make babies [you hear that, Twilighters?]. So I had to come up with a creative solution, and thus Melody was born. And now… well. She's served her purpose.

**Images**: http:/ www. sfgate. com/ blogs/ images/ sfgate/ sfmoms/ 2009/ 03/ 03/ very- sweet- baby- with- blue- eyes 425 x 318. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Melody/Ava, Ava/Ella.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Labor, Ringmaster douchebaggery, character death.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Ella belongs to me and Megan.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Angst, Family.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 210.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _She_, Green Day.

XXX

Ava had always wanted to be a mother. She'd always been told that, with her tiny frame, pregnancy was not a good idea, but she'd always dreamed of having a family of her own. Then she'd been converted, and she'd had to accept the fact that children were not in her future.

Until Melody had gifted Ava with her unborn child. Ava hadn't dared to let herself believe that the child Melody carried would ever see the light of day; she wouldn't have put it past Shawn to kill the baby for its mother's transgressions. But Mia and Zenina had stayed his hand, and thus Ava found herself in the bloodwhores' trailer, holding onto Melody as she screamed through labor.

Then… a miracle.

"Look, Melly," Ava whispered. "You're a mommy."  
>"No," Melody shook her head. "You are."<p>

Ava swallowed the lump in her throat as one of the bloodwhores handed her the tiny, blanket-wrapped bundle. She pressed one final kiss to Melody's forehead, silently telling her dear friend farewell, then stood and walked out as Shawn entered the trailer. Ava sprinted as fast as she could, not wanting her daughter anywhere near the scene of her mother's death.

"Ella Melody Haner," she whispered, caressing the baby's cheek. "I'm your mommy."


	51. Capitulation

**Author's Note**: I think I've mentioned before that Trick was always dead set against being converted. Not that he didn't enjoy the circus and love his family… but he always fully intended to die someday, and re-join his brothers. However, Shawn does not easily let go of his acts. So the scale had to be tipped, one way or another. I asked my characters for their opinions… and this is what they said.

**Images**: http:/ 29. media. tumblr. com/ tumblr_ lqvp 86 vo 8 I 1 qknk 9 ro 1_ 500. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Brick!, Trick/Shawn, Mia/Shawn, Zenina/Shawn, Joey/Shawn.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Argument.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 100.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Vampires Will Never Hurt You_, My Chemical Romance.

XXX

Trick's argument had always been that if he were converted, he would be useless as the Abhorsen; his necromantic powers would abandon him if he himself became undead.

Mia pointed out that if Trick stayed mortal, it made absolutely no sense to condemn Brixton to an immortality without her husband.

Zenina warned that if Shawn did attempt to convert Bri, Trick would retaliate. Abhorsens had once known how to kill vampires.

Joey simply told Shawn not to be a dick.

Shawn couldn't fight all of them at once, and so he reluctantly gave in. Trick and Brixton would remain mortal.


	52. Family

**Author's Note**: Another drabble that's more of a plot cul-de-sac than anything. See, the whole point of the painfully epic saga Megan and I have created around the Spencers is that they're horrible people- drug dealers, hitmen, pimps- but they're a family, and despite everything else, they love each other more than anything else. It's because of that love- and because of their own fatal flaws- that they're destroyed. And despite the fact that they're horrible people, by the end of the story it's still a tragedy to watch them all get killed. I don't know if any of the other characters in TWE would be able to see past the gang to see the family, but I wanted a moment to acknowledge the family Trick lost, instead of the gang.

Incidentally, I think the last two lines of this drabble rank among some of the saddest things I've ever written.

**Images**: http:/ www. mrjimbeach. com/ wp- content/ uploads/ 2010/ 06/ Angel- Crying- Headstone. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Brick, Trick/Tony/Family.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Mild angst, necromantic ritual.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Family.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 500.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Loss_, Blast.

XXX

"I want to show you something," Trick said to Bri one evening, taking her hand and drawing her into his office, where Tony was waiting.

Brixton looked around curiously. While she knew what Trick's gift entailed, she had never seen him truly demonstrate his power. What he did on the sideshow was child's play, he said; simply acting as a mouthpiece for the dead. To contact them, to part the Veil and interact with them directly; that was closer to the truth of his gifts as Abhorsen.

She remained quiet, sitting with Tony as Trick drew them within his circle of crystals and began the ritual that would open the Veil. As she waited, she wondered; why did Trick want to show her the realm of Death? Did he think it would be comforting for her to see what awaited them?

Then the Veil fell, and Brixton gasped to see figures standing before them.

They looked completely solid, even though Brixton knew she couldn't touch them. The only thing that marked them as dead was the fact that their forms were leached of color, almost to the point of being black and white. It was wrong to see them like this; from all the stories Brixton had heard about the Spencer family they should have been pulsing with vibrant Technicolor.

"Bri, this is my family," Trick said, his heart in his eyes. "I wanted you to meet them."

Brixton swallowed hard, blinking back tears. She knew how much this meant to Trick, knew how he constantly yearned to have his family back, to have their opinions and their approval.

"So, this is Brixton," the tall, muscular one- Max, she remembered- said, folding his arms.  
>"Yeah, this is her," Trick smiled, linking his hand with hers.<br>"Are you taking care of the little shit for us, Brixton?" the angular, intense one who could only be Christian asked, eyes narrowing slightly.  
>"Chris," Trick hissed, wrapping an arm around Bri protectively. "Be nice."<br>"I'm trying," she answered honestly, somewhat intimidated.

It didn't matter if he was dead, this had been an incredibly powerful man in life, and that vitality was a part of him still.

"He doesn't make it easy on me."

At that, Christian barked out a laugh, and Bri understood why everyone had loved him, despite themselves.

"He does that," Christian nodded, approval in his gaze.

Trick kept the Veil open for a while longer. Brixton remained quiet, watching Trick flower under the love and approval of his brothers, watching Tony come more alive than she had ever seen as he talked quietly with Christian. Her heart ached as she watched them all, mourning this family who had been ripped apart before their time, but who refused to let death separate them.

"Someday," Max said, just before Trick closed the Veil.

A silent promise, she knew, and a reminder.

She drew a shaky breath, laying her head on his shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered. "They're wonderful."  
>"Yeah," Trick nodded. "They were."<p> 


	53. Acquisitions

**Author's Note**: This drabble pays homage to Joey and Ava as they exist in any other RP board or situation. Get them away from the circus and suddenly Joey gets all adorable and zany, Ava gets bouncy and adorable, and they get very, very domestic beneath all that crazy and glitter. I love me some JoeyandAva.

By the way, this drabble's image? That's the reason I ship Jimmy/Leana so hard. Look at that picture and tell me it's not adorable. Also, yes, I realize that the song for this chapter is weirdly perky and upbeat for Joey.

**Images**: http:/ cdn. buzznet. com/ assets/ users 16/ mikeywayishot/ default/ leana- noelle- silver- rev- large- msg- 119723601979. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Joey/Ava.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Fluff.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Ella belongs to me and Megan; Spencer is all mine.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Family.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 420.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _It Doesn't Get Better Than This_, Katy Fitzgerald.

XXX

Ava's bird was an eagle. But she had the acquisitiveness of a magpie.

Joey should have figured this out about her; he certainly spent enough time picking out sparkly jewelry for her. But he'd never really thought about the impact her acquisitions would have on their life, until she started collecting other things.

Ella had only been the start. She had soon been followed by a three-legged pit bull mix Ava named Kickstand, and a King Charles spaniel christened Patchwork. And then one stormy night, Ava had come home with a small blanket-swaddled bundle in her arms; an infant sparrow shifter she'd found abandoned in the woods. Joey had tried to put his foot down, pointing out that Shawn wouldn't allow it, but one pleading look from Ava's stupidly huge eyes and he was lost. So Spencer joined the family.

Family… when in the hell had Joey gotten saddled up with a family? For almost a hundred years he had been alone, with no one but Shawn for company. He'd been a loner, and he liked it that way. And now here he found himself, married with two kids, like some supernatural version of the Cleavers.

The weirdest part of all of it? He _liked_ it. He liked coming home to Ava in the kitchen, the dogs tugging on their chew toys and the kids in the living room, Ella surrounded by a sea of dress-up costumes and Spencer warbling to himself in babyspeak. He liked how Kickstand and Patchwork didn't seem to fear him, how Ella would climb into his lap and demand a story about princesses and unicorns, how Spencer would shift suddenly and perch on his shoulder, chirping in his ear. He liked putting the kids to bed with Ava; watching them sleep was the best part of his day.

He wondered sometimes, what it would have been like to meet Ava under normal circumstances. If he'd just been a human guy who happened to meet her, would they still have fallen in love? Would he have given her the time of day, would she have given him her heart? Would they have married, had a child of their own flesh and blood?

He found he didn't like thinking about that. This wasn't at all the kind of life Joey had ever thought about or planned for himself, but now that he had it, he couldn't imagine living differently. He would happily surrender his humanity if it meant that he got to keep Ava and their family.


	54. Best Show On Earth

**Author's Note**: Well, that's everything. All the story lines are wrapped up and I'm done writing anything with these TWE characters [….yeah right. I know me, at some point I'll play with them again]. So I'm ending this drabble series as I began it. I hope you were entertained by this series, and I promise to get back to my regularly scheduled fanfics now. This is _The Wicked End_, signing off.

**Images**: http:/ artblt. com/ wp- content/ uploads/ 2011/ 05/ Zarkana- e 1306159664567. jpg  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: None.  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Another sing-song rhyme scheme of a poem.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: None.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Poetry.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 243.  
><strong>Song<strong>: _Welcome to Paradise_, Green Day.

XXX

The Ringmaster claims his circus  
>is the "best show on earth."<br>But some people will warn you  
>to give The Wicked End a wide berth.<p>

The acts are all beautiful,  
>astounding, sublime,<br>and if you come  
>you will have a good time.<p>

But as much as you may enjoy it  
>and think it worth the fee,<br>the most interesting things happen  
>when the audience cannot see.<p>

Behind the closed curtains  
>is where the freaks thrive;<br>consider yourself lucky  
>if you make it out alive.<p>

The circus performers all say  
>that they've had a wild ride;<br>for better for for worse  
>they can't leave the Ringmaster's side.<p>

The Abhorsen to the hairdresser  
>did lose his heart,<br>but he'll perform for the Ringmaster  
>till death do them part.<p>

The Oracle's loyalties were  
>for a time divided;<br>though she loves the Ringmaster  
>she and her husband reunited.<p>

Vampirism gave the strong man  
>a second chance at life,<br>but he really hates his sire  
>for fucking his wife.<p>

The Ringmaster killed a bloodwhore  
>for escaping and running wild.<br>Before she died, she willed  
>her friend her love child.<p>

The twins were both converted,  
>both against their will.<br>But they'll accept it, because  
>they're together still.<p>

The little bird won't forgive the Ringmaster  
>for ruining her life,<br>but it's thanks to him that  
>she's now mother and wife.<p>

Sometimes it's hard to tell  
>enemy from friend,<br>but in the end we're all family  
>here in The Wicked End.<p> 


End file.
